Before they pass their national licensing exam, and even before they graduate, students in the Yampa Valley’s nursing programs at Colorado Mountain College and Colorado Northwestern Community College already have job offers.

It’s no secret that nurses are in high demand across the valley, state and country. A study released in September 2021 by the management consulting firm Mercer estimated Colorado will have a shortage of 10,000 nurses by 2026.

“The health care workforce shortage is quite serious and something we’re devoting a lot of energy toward,” said Julie Denning, senior marketing and communications specialist at the Colorado Hospital Association.

Both UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs and Memorial Regional Health in Craig have multiple openings for nurses as part of their current 10% vacancy rates in overall workforce.

The shortage of nurses is not a new problem due to such factors in recent years as economic downturns, waves of retiring nurses and increased health care demand, according to the American Nurses Association. The shortage was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As the pandemic hit in March 2020, nurses, who represent the largest group of health care professionals in the country, already were under strain due to factors such as retirements outpacing new entrants to the field, increased demand for health care from aging and chronic disease populations and inadequate workforce support,” according to the association.

Manager of Human Resources Mary Wirta said Yampa Valley Medical Center was not as impacted by nurses leaving the profession during the pandemic as larger, big city hospitals were. Yet, some YVMC nurses decided to move away from bedside patient care positions into roles related to education, coordination or information. Other nurses have left YVMC seeking more growth opportunities toward their career desires at larger, busier medical centers, Wirta said.

Currently, the hospitals in Steamboat and Craig actually have more openings in the areas of medical technicians. Medical technologists or assistants are needed in such areas as labs, radiology, mammography, respiratory and surgery.

Throughout all its operations, YVMC employs 640 people and MRH 375.

“The biggest issues still remain housing and cost of living,” Wirta said of hiring struggles.

Both Wirta and Sheli Steele, marketing and community relations director at MRH, said medical technician jobs are tough to fill locally due to the lack of training programs in the region. Students travel to larger cities for the training, participate in clinical rotations at those locations, and often are snapped up by medical centers there.

“If they are in Steamboat, they likely have to relocate or move temporarily to other areas that offer these programs, and then it becomes increasingly difficult to come back,” Wirta said. “The housing market and cost of living makes it really difficult for them to return.”

State leaders and legislators have introduced several programs and financial options to support training for nursing students and other allied health positions. For example, $26 million in funding in 2022 created the Care Forward Colorado program to revitalize the state’s health care workforce with zero-cost, short-term training programs at community and technical colleges. Students who enroll in cooperating educational programs in areas ranging from certified nursing assistant to phlebotomy or pharmacy technicians have tuition, fees and course materials covered as Care Forward funding allows.

The two hospitals in the Yampa Valley offer a variety of programs to develop their own and to help retain staff. YVMC partners with Med Prep at Steamboat Springs High School and offers on-the-job training for certified nursing assistants. The biggest recruitment tool at the Craig hospital is an incentive to provide financial assistance for employees to attend nursing school with an agreement the nurses will return to MRH after graduation to work for a number of years.

“We have a firm belief in growing our own,” Steele said. “If a CNA wants to go to nursing school, if they agree to come back, they get a stipend every month.”

All MRH employees also have access to an education stipend of 2.5% of their annual wage to pursue additional training opportunities.

UCHealth YVMC offers various educational advancement programs to develop new staff. Sarah Clemmons, professional development supervisor, cited some examples: “A member of our environmental services staff studied to become a phlebotomist. A local community member left their past career and entered our sterile processing academy. A registered nurse completed a fellowship to gain skills specific to caring for ICU patients.”

Kelly Gallegos, YVMC chief nursing officer, added, “We have introduced fellowships in multiple nursing departments to provide new nurses, or those looking for a change, an opportunity to expand their skill set.”

“We are excited about our ability to partner with our local educational institutions to create more career opportunities and strengthen our workforce in the Yampa Valley,” Gallegos said.

Both of the hospitals also offer leadership programs to grow the skills of managers and help employees progress to different positions within the hospitals.